There are plenty of beautiful native alternatives to this (and other) invasives!
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July 26, 2024
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** Plant This, Not That: Butterfly Bush
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Photo: Butterfly Bush, Alyssa Ford Morel
Butterfly Bush is a problem in the environment in several ways.
First, it out-competes native plants, taking up the space they need.
Second, because it produces abundant nectar, pollinators often ignore flowers on native plants, depriving them of the pollination they need to reproduce. Third, although adult butterflies indeed flock to the shrub, it does not support a single American butterfly baby (that is, caterpillars). There are some Butterfly Bush cultivars that are marketed as being sterile or low-fertility. Unfortunately, as Jurassic Park fans know, over time species sometimes revert to their original fecundity, so such offerings should not be seen as a safe alternative. The answer, instead, is to plant one of the many beautiful native plants that attract and support butterflies. Check out this article ([link removed]) to find some good native replacements for Butterfly Bush that will also bring in the butterflies.
NATIVE ALTERNATIVES TO BUTTERFLY BUSH ([link removed])
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